Business on hold: Bremner upbeat despite financial hurdles

Jillaroos star Sam Bremner sheds a positive light on every situation, but even she's concerned for what the short-term future may hold.

For anyone that knows Bremner, the energetic fullback and new mum of baby boy Reef, she's a hundred miles an hour in everything she does.

She acknowledges that, amid the coronavirus pandemic, things are about to change.

The recent closure of her privately owned gym in Helensburgh, and her husband Wayne's landscaping business, could mean the Bremner family needs government assistance in the not too distant future.

That scenario is a predicament many families across Australia and the world are facing over the next six months.

"It's definitely going to depend on whether the government will definitely close the gym for a longer term," Bremner told NRL.com.

"That's the only way I bring money in so I'll definitely need to get some sort of assistance.

"Wayne's worked hard all his life to ensure that I have been able to go away for footy and he can have time off so there is a bit of fear that it could be taken away from us.

"But in saying that we try not to get too caught up in it all because there are far more people worse off than us."

Bremner is working around the clock to keep her clients, who she likens to family members, busy during the quarantine period while also holding small group sessions.

"I hated the thought of having to close the doors and eliminate that from them, especially when this time of their life is where they need it the most," Bremner said.

"We've come up with a plan to allow our clients to take some equipment home and we're looking to utilise the 10-person rule and train outside.

"It's been difficult so far because you don't realise how interactive and social everyone is. You can't step and talk too close to someone or share equipment.

"It's just ensuring that our clients' happiness and health are still important, especially in a time like this where mental health will play up and exercise is one of the few outlets left available."

Bremner, like many female athletes, is waiting on the NRL and RLPA's next moves in regards to their competitions.

For some women, they've also been laid off from employment, while others rely on payments from playing rugby league throughout the year to get by.

"You've got girls who have gone and borrowed or bought gym equipment and put in their garage," Bremner said.

"It's hard to find motivation when you don't know where your finishing line is but most of the girls have spent years trying to get to the point we're at now so we're not going to just stop.

"I have no doubt the people who work hard for us will continue to. The opportunities might not be the same that we have now but I'm confident things won't just be taken from us.  

"We'll find a way, it's just about how we go about it."

If the women's calendar is limited this year, Bremner said the 2021 World Cup was enough motivation to keep training hard.

"I know we'll all get there, this period will be a time where we'll look back on and reflect on what we went through to do it," Bremner said.

"It will make accomplishing it all the more better."